Essay about Human Resource Management - 3025 Words

Human Resource Management Effective human resource management is undoubtedly critical to the success of virtually all firms. Thus its importance is huge in the study of business strategy; which is the system of the firm’s important choices that are critical to the firm’s survival and relative success (Boxall and Purcell 2003). Getting more specific, strategic human resource management as a field of study is concerned with the strategic choices associated with the use of labour in firms and with explaining why some firms manage them more effectively than others (Boxall and Purcell 2003). Traditionally there has been much debate in the field of strategic HRM over two main schools of thought; â€Å"best fit† (contingency theory), and â€Å"best†¦show more content†¦The resource based view has its origins in the new business strategy literature and has very quickly become influential, giving rise to developments in pay systems and training as well as overall models or approaches (Si sson and Storey 2000). It is the variety of different resources that makes each organization unique which leads to differences in competitive performance across an industry (Marchington and Wilkinson 2002). The RBV states that companies can â€Å"sustain competitive advantage by implementing strategies that exploit their internal strengths, through responding to environmental opportunities, while neutralizing external threats and avoiding internal weaknesses† (Marchington and Wilkinson 2002). The central argument in RBV is that while tangible resources have often declined in their strategic value, intangible and human resources have increased as a source of value. Looking at internal sources of viability and advantage, emphasis is placed on resources which are critical to organizational success yet are rare, or not commonly available, are not substitutable and are combined together to form organizational capabilities or processes which are imperfectly imitable, or hard for others to copy; namely value, rarity, imperfect imitability, and a lack of substitutes (Boxall and Purcell, 2003) It is the combination of these resources that will allow companies toShow MoreRelatedHuman Resources Management : Human Resource Management1140 Words   |  5 Pagesa business efficiently? Human Resource Management (HRM). Human Resources is the solid foundation that practically oversees the entire organization, whether its managing employees to surveilling the progress of every single department. There are six principle functions that Human Resource take into account: employee relations, recruitment, compliance, compensation and benefits, training and developmen t, and safety (policies/regulations). Over time Human Resource Management has taken a new role intoRead MoreHuman Resources Management And Human Resource Management2123 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction The study of human resource management becomes a major topic of the science of management at the beginning of 20th century and keeps attracting researchers’ attention (Merkle, 1980). The new models of human resource management derive from the advance of management theories and the accumulation of practices and experiences. With the development of global economy, the economic situation of each country deeply affects the world and becomes closely connected. In addition, the needs of customersRead MoreHuman Resources Management : Human Resource Management1138 Words   |  5 PagesHuman Resources Management Hilti continues to grasp on success and expand globally, but their path weren’t always well defined. The company began in 1941 and historically they’ve kept to traditional strategies when it came to recognizing human resource requirements. In the early 2000’s, the company established a new set initiatives, aimed at doubling revenue and operating profits. Hilti also recognized that this type of growth would require invigorating ideas to employ human resourcing requirementsRead MoreHuman Resource Management And Human Resources Management941 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Resources Management is one of the most important aspects of any organization, whether it be non-profit, not for profit, or profit. Human Resources Management is what makes it possible for a manager to be able to focus on their work and tasks at hand and not have to deal with lots of unneeded interpersonal activities. They are in charge of correctly evaluating the candidates that the managers will have to work with for the duration of the candidate’s stay. They are responsible for makingRead MoreHuman Resources Management : Human Resource Management835 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Resource Management â€Å"They humanize the brand and help workforce communities thrive† (Who). A human resource management position may be the job for you. Every business and enterprise has a human resource manager, including Starbucks, Disney and even Apple. This job includes planning and coordination, organization, consulting employees and to oversee the work and employees. All the schooling and stress that comes along with this occupation pays off in the end with an enjoyable job. HumanRead MoreHuman Resources Management : Human Resource Management1398 Words   |  6 Pages Human Resource Management Overview Tanya Phillips Dr. Andrea Scott, PhD HSA 320, Strayer University October 31, 2016 Human Resources Management Overview Human resources (HR) is the different kinds of clinical and nonclinical responsibilities for public and individual health involvement. The benefits and performance the system can deliver depends upon the knowledge, skills and motivation of those responsible for providing health services. Human resource managers don’t directlyRead MoreHuman Resources Management : Human Resource Management2534 Words   |  11 PagesIn most cases managers look at human resource management as an expense to a company rather than a source of benefit to the company however, research has proved that human resource management practices can be of greater value. Valuable decisions such as whom to recruit, what package to offer, the training necessary for the new recruits and how to assess employee performance directly affects the employee motivation and as such do affect the ability of the employee to provide products which the consumersRead MoreHuman Resources Management : Human Resource Management95 8 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Resource Management Overview As we all know when it comes to every business and organization that is out there, they all need help from Human Resources to continue to help the company grow. What is human resource management? Well Human Resource Management is the overall process that deals with how Human Resources manages their employees as well as different issues that can come across within the organization. Human Resource Management are in charge of different tasks including recruiting asRead MoreHuman Resources Management : Human Resource Management820 Words   |  4 PagesHuman Resources Management Proper Planning is one of the most important aspects of human resource management. Without proper execution of plans, the particular needs of an organization that are the responsibility of human resources will not be reached, and therefore, will fall short of what is necessary for meeting the goals of an organization (DeCenzo, Robbins Verhulst 2013).There are many facets a human resource manager must be familiar with in order to run an organization. The functions of humanRead MoreHuman Resource Management : Human Resources Management1264 Words   |  6 Pagesand research with my family, I decided to go into human resource management, specifically in a hospital. Many people questioned and often said â€Å"Why human resource management?† My answer, I chose human resource managers because I believe they are a vital part of a hospitals success. They make the plans, they direct the staff and they coordinate how people work together and where they need to be. Throughout this paper , I will describe human resource managers- what they do, what are the requirements

The Portrayal Of Schizophreni A Beautiful Mind And The...

The Portrayal of Schizophrenia In A Beautiful Mind and The Realities of The Illness In the movie A Beautiful Mind, Russell Crow performs the part of a schizophrenic. Mental illnesses possess a negative connotation in society. The illness schizophrenia is not rare, but is not completely understood yet. The portrayal of this mental illness in A Beautiful Mind is not correct, but it is not wrong either. Hollywood tends to exaggerate situations, but they also depict a few of schizophrenia’s symptoms appropriately. The movie is based on the award-winning mathematician John Nash who went on to win The Nobel Prize. Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that is not well known. Media creates a misconception about this illness and gives people the wrong idea. This illness is in a state of psychosis, which means that person’s thoughts and perceptions are removed from reality (King, 2014). The symptoms of schizophrenia are not black and white. However, there are symptoms that are certain. Positive symptoms â€Å"reflect something added a bove and beyond normal behavior†, whereas, â€Å"negative symptoms reflect social withdrawal, behavioral deficits, and the loss or decrease of normal functions† (King, 2014, pg. 518). People diagnosed with schizophrenia tend to distance themselves from others due to the way their mind works. In the media, schizophrenia is often confused with other mental illnesses. Hollywood tends to over exaggerate the truth in order to captivate an audience, and sometimes facts

National Geographic the World’s Most Dangerous Drug Free Essays

The World’s Most Dangerous Drug is a documentary produced by the National Geographic Channel in 2006, that explores the disturbing effects of methamphetamines, not only to those who use the drug but also to those people associated with them. American journalist and news presenter, Lisa Ling, takes the viewer on a journey to the mental and physical aftermath of taking Meth. The use of selection and omission, re-enactment and archival material, manipulation of codes and actuality, all contribute to the portrayal of the issues presented in this documentary. We will write a custom essay sample on National Geographic: the World’s Most Dangerous Drug or any similar topic only for you Order Now These issues conspire: the high percentage of crimes in the United States created by meth users, the promising lives destroyed by Meth and the life-long damage Meth has done to those who have stopped taking it, yet are still under the influence of the drug. Selection and Omission plays an important part in portraying the ideas of the documentary because it is an effective technique used to control what the audiences are able to view and what they are not. Interviews are widely used, not only of the Meth users but also of those who deal with the issue of meth on a daily basis. Examples of interviews that stood out were the ones of Kobe Kempey and his family. The portrayal of the idea that anyone can be victimised by Meth is initialised through these interviews. Kempey’s life story also depicts the lives of those who have survived being meth addicts in the past, however are still haunted by it. Professional interviews from doctors and from the police are used to show the lifelong consequences Meth does to people and to communities. The audiences are purposely affected by the interviews so that they can sympathise with the Meth victims and so thatthey are aware of the repercussions of taking the drug. The archival material shown in the beginning of the documentary creates a feeling of anxiety within the audience and introduces the main objective of the film. Through the footage and sound, the audiences are aware of the growing popularity of Meth among young adults. The re-enactment of Michael Wamsley and Janel Hornickel’s experience, half-way through the documentary, rogresses this idea and proves the promising lives destroyed by Meth. Similarly, the documentary Sicko, by Michael Moore, uses archival footage and sound to show real events and to make the documentary more persuasive. The manipulation of codes can affect one’s reading of a text. Symbolic codes are shown throughout the film to signify various meanings. The American flag is shown outside the Meth house to convey the idea of Methamphetam ines ravaging communities in America. The British pound being used as a ‘spliff’ also informs the audience that meth, not only ravages American communities, but also damages other countries through its diversity. Actuality is a code of realism that involves the recording of images and sounds on location as they actually happen. An example was when Lisa Ling went to a Bangkok red-light district to film the two, Thai, young women taking Meth for more booze. The women did not want to be shown on camera due to the constraints in the country. This scene depicts a real event that occurred in an unrehearsed situation. It represents the cultural context of Thailand and a part of their way of social life. Another example is of the ‘drug deal’ scene with the undercover cop, Sean Christian. This documentary is presented in third person Point of view to look at the issue of Meth from a different perspective. The Thai government’s values of discipline and safety throughout the country were conveyed through 3rd person P. O. V. The audiences are aware of those values because of the event that was shown in the documentary. A few footages from â€Å"Bankok’s Brutal Crackdown on Meth in 2003† were shown to purposely appeal to the audience and make them more aware of the generation of Thai Meth addicts. Visual effects and confronting images both assist in making this text more persuasive. Diagrams of the brain were shown to give the audience an insight to what really occurs inside the body when Meth is consumed. Before and after images of meth addicts were shown to reveal the physical effects and ‘meth mouths’ to portray the dame Meth causes to the teeth. Confronting advertisements from the Montana Meth Project were also shown to target young audiences and to promote their campaign. Repetition is also used, when showing the Meth bags and the ‘Methamphetamines’ medical sign to highlight the important of knowing what meth looks like to avoid wasted lives of addiction. Technological developments such as, animation allowed this portrayal to be more powerful. This documentary was produced mainly in the American states of Portland and Omaha and also in Bangkok, Thailand in 2006. Technological developments have made travelling to these destinations more accessible. This is a large-scale type of production because it was produces by the national Geographic Channel. The World’s Most Dangerous Drug depicts the mental and physical effects of taking Meth through the use of selection and omission, re-enactment and archival material, manipulation of codes, actuality and visual effects to raise awareness concerning the issue of methamphetamines, continuing to seduce millions around the world, infecting brains and bringing crime, chaos and death wherever it goes. How to cite National Geographic: the World’s Most Dangerous Drug, Papers

School Vouchers The Wrong Choice Essay Example For Students

School Vouchers: The Wrong Choice Essay School Vouchers: The Wrong ChoiceSusie is a young girl who lives in Florida. Since kindergarten, she has attended a nearby private school. Her parents willingly pay her tuition, even though doing so forces them to cut other corners. They do not mind these sacrifices, since they know that their daughter is getting the best education they can give her. Jesse lives downtown, in the inner city. She attends the local public school and struggles through her classes. Her mother would like to send her to a private school, where there is less violence and a calmer atmosphere, but cannot afford it. Then, Jesse’s mother learns that a voucher system has put into place for the entire state of Florida. Jesse’s inner city, spray-painted elementary school received a failing status, so she can receive a voucher to attend the school of her choice. With the money she receives from the voucher, Jesse’s mother is able to send her daughter to the same private school that Susie attends. Is it fair that Susie’s parents pinch pennies while Jesse’s mother send her on the bus for free? While meaning well, does the voucher system inadvertently discriminate against children like Susie whose parents must work extra hours to put their children through private school? Is the voucher system really the answer to the problems with American education today, or a way to transfer them somewhere else?American public schools have always had their flaws. In the nineteenth century, colleges complained of under-prepared freshmen; students who could not write an essay or even spell. A main controversy was bilingual education for newly naturalized immigrants. As America entered the early 1900s, the debate turned to the use of entertainment in the classroom. Teachers felt that they must put on a show in order to keep the attention of their pupils. The abandonment of phonics in the 1920s and 30s was believed to be the reason why the job market consisted of those with inadequa te educational preparation. Social promotion and the replacement of the â€Å"three R’s† with emotional stability and attitude courses were the causes of concern in the 1940s. The 1950s brought an awareness of low standards. It was found that American children were lagging behind the average standards of the rest of the world. Safety in schools also became an issue; incoming teachers were warned of the â€Å"physical courage† necessary to teach. Illiteracy became the main focus on the 1960s and 70s. Phonics (or the lack thereof) was once again to blame (Rothstein 2). Now, at the beginning of a new century, what problems have been fixed? Illiteracy is still high, American standards are still low, and graduates are still unprepared. Each generation feels that schools are worse than the generation before. America has been attempting to solve the problems with its education system for 200 years, but nothing has changed. According to Rothstein:Schools are not up to the task of readying young people for the challenges of the next century. An apparently watered down curriculum ensures that all students, regardless of whether they have mastered necessary skills, can graduate. â€Å"Social promotion† without requirements to master grade-appropriate skills is now commonplace, so even elite colleges must run â€Å"remedial† courses for freshmen in basic math and literacy, and business executives complain that high school graduates are ill-prepared for even relatively unskilled jobs (2). Are these complaints not the same ones that appeared a century ago? Improvement is desperately needed, but where should it start? Cleveland, Milwaukee, and the state of Florida have suggested an answer: a school voucher system. Voucher proponents believe that the system which they support is a starting place. Voucher proponents across the nation believe that through this program, which places the burden of improvement upon schools, progress can be made. The voucher system recently implemented in Florida is built around competition. The public schools have standards which they must uphold. Each year the state gives each school a letter grade which rates that school’s ability to keep the given standards. If the school receives an â€Å"F,† it stands to lose a great deal of its student body because of vouchers. This failing grade qualifies the children enrolled in the school to participate in the voucher program, giving each student between $3000 and $4000 to attend a priv ate school (Kaczor 1). In theory, the system appears to be a well-planned step in the right direction. By penalizing â€Å"failing† schools and providing for their students, it seems progress could be made. Voucher proponents believe that by giving schools grades, each one will strive to be the best, receive an â€Å"A,† and gain a higher enrollment. However, will it really make a large impact upon the innumerable problems which exist in today’s education system? This year, only two of Florida’s 2500 public schools received a failing grade. And, in these two schools, only 52 students chose to participate in the state’s voucher system (Kaczor 1). While 52 children may be having a better school year, what about the hundreds of others across the state suffering from a poor education? Certainly, those 52 students are not the only ones in the state of Florida who were receiving a less than adequate education. Yet, the state granted approximately $200,00 0 to support the voucher system. If that money had been given to the schools, they could improve themselves, so that they were no longer considered â€Å"failing.† Instead, they were penalized by a drop in enrollment. How then can a failing school be expected to improve? As soon as it receives such a stigma, its students leave and funding is terminated. Ralph Neas, president of People for the American Way, told the press, â€Å"The voucher program is costing millions of dollars that would be better spent on improving education for the majority of Milwaukee’s schoolchildren† (Whitmire 1). The voucher system implements a great amount of tax dollars to aid a relatively small number of students. While seeming to neutralize problems in American education, it simply creates more by denying failing schools the chance to improve. There is another major loophole in the voucher system: there is no way to calculate if any improvement has been made in the academic performan ce of students using vouchers. A comparison between public and private school students’ achievements is prevented because each uses different tests. In Cleveland, where an inner-city voucher system, is in place, researchers have reached no clear conclusions about the program’s effectiveness (Whitmire 1). Without this information, there is no way to determine if giving children a voucher brings scholastic improvement. There are definite problems with the American education system; problems the nation has battled for more than a century. Reform is needed, but the school voucher system is not the answer. If the plan would go nation-wide, 50 million children would be dropped at the doorsteps of private schools. Currently, only 10 percent of families send their children to private schools (Tyack 2). This small number of elite schools could not possibly accommodate the boom in enrollment caused by student with vouchers. What then? It is very likely that private schools would spring up overnight in response to the sudden number of children seeking to use government money at private schools. Who can guarantee that these schools will be of a better quality than the public schools which came before them (Roberts, Glenn 22)? If the voucher system were implemented, public school, as they are currently known, would cease to exist. The tax dollars necessary to fund public school improvements and the voucher system simultaneously do not exist. .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 , .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 .postImageUrl , .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 , .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486:hover , .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486:visited , .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486:active { border:0!important; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486:active , .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486 .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uffdb8a5fb9a6eaeaf18962b568ee4486:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Julius Caesar: Marcus Brutus Character Analysis EssayOur public schools need immediate attention to the condition of their physical plants, the training of their teachers (many of whom teach in areas which they have no special expertise), the size of their classes and the equipment and supplies they need, and the quality of their hopes for the children entrusted to them. They need the money that vouchers would bleed away (Roberts, Glenn 23). Instead of taking this money away form the nation’s failing schools, it should be pumped into them and put to work. Education tax dollars should be put to work solving the problems in American schools. The voucher system is an escape out the back door. It simply transfers all of the issues out of the public schools, placing them in the hands of the private community. Education Essays

Zavier Bacote Essays (690 words) - Culture, Religion, Fiction, Jedi

Zavier Bacote REL 110 2/19/18 New Religious Movement Rastafari , Jediism , and The Raelian Movement , are three very unique religions in the world that people take very serious, and are very committed to this religion. All three of these religions have their own form of god that matches there lively hood and the ways they live. Rastafari is an African - centered religion that was created and developed in Jamaica in the 1930s that is branched into three branches called the, Nyahbinghi Order; Bobo Shanti; Twelve Tribes of Israel. Rastafari was founded by a black Jamaican named Marcus Garvey who was Baptist who was teacher in the 1920s. Rastafari has a god named Jah, to the Rastafarian peopl e their god was manifested from on earth as Jesus, and he was black. Jediism also known as Jedi from the movie Star Wars is actually a real religion with real beliefs. Jediism believes in all living things share a living force and that all people know what to do and what not to do. In the Jediism religion they believe in an afterlife and that people can communicate with the afterlife. Jediism has always existed in the religion, a nd the region has been existing well before the movie Star Wars. The Jedi religion believes that good and evil have they own separate power and strengths. The Jedi religion has two sides, dark side and the light side. According to the Jedi religion the Star Wars movies copied their region and turned it into a movie, but the Star Wars movie executives and creators think otherwise. Raelism is a UFO religion that was created by Claude Vorilhon in 1974. Raelism is a religion that teaches that life, and earth was created by extraterrestrials , who they call Elohim. Members of this religion have had some type encounter with an extraterrestrial being personally. In the Raelism religion Elohim are their god to them. Raelism is a religion that started in Paris, France. The religion Raelism believe that extraterrestrial being had created everything on earth and that the y are the cause of life itself. Raelism can be located in Geneva, Switzerland where you can find most of the Raelism religion and its people. Raelism believe that they have alien DNA. The Raelism people celebrate a ritual similar to the burning man when they send their DNA to an alien planet. Rastafari, Jediism, and The Raelian Movement are all similar in the aspect that they are all very unique and different religion that a lot of people don't know about. These religions can me fictional so some people and a lively hood to most. These religions celebrate their own type of rituals which involve giving something to their god, and creator. Jediism and The Raelism Movement are two similar types of religions that have somewhat fictional type backgrounds , that worship a higher power and that they all have some type of power that was given to them by their god. The Rastafari religion compared to the other re li gion s can be more believable because the story of their god is somewhat not fictional but in a lot of ways it can be compared as the Christian god, so it can be a religion very believable in what the god may seem to people. The Rastafarian religion is more known than the other religions because of the Jamaican culture being so worldwide and more populated then the former religion that were talked about and mentioned. There are many religions that was mentioned that are very unique and to a lot of people funny but thousands of people believe in these religion because the many religions that are out there people may not have a connection to the type of religions that a lot of people are accustom to, so a lot of people create their own religion in their own image. WORK CITED http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/rastafari/ http://www.religionfacts.com/rastafarianism http://www.jedichurch.org/jedi-doctrine.html https://www.jedichurch.org/ http://www.rael.org/home http://www.elohimembassy.org/index.php

Hares and Pikas - Lagomorpha - The Animal Encyclopedia

Hares and Pikas - Lagomorpha - The Animal Encyclopedia Hares, pikas and rabbits (Lagomorpha) are small terrestrial mammals that include cottontails, jackrabbits, pikas, hares and rabbits. The group is also commonly referred to as lagomorphs. There are about 80 species of lagomorphs divided into two subgroups, the pikas and the hares and rabbits. Lagomorphs are not as diverse as many other mammal groups, but they are widespread. They inhabit every continent except Antarctica and are absent from only a few places around the globe such as parts of South America, Greenland, Indonesia and Madagascar. Although not native to Australia, lagomorphs have been introduced there by humans and have since successfully colonized many parts of the continent. Lagomorphs generally have a short tail, large ears, wide-set eyes and narrow, slit-like nostrils that they can scrunch tightly closed. The two subgroups of lagomorphs differ considerably in their general appearance. Hares and rabbits are larger and have long hind legs, a short bushy tail and long ears. Pikas, on the other hand, in contrast, are smaller than hares and rabbits and more rotund. They have round bodies, short legs and a tiny, barely-visible tail. Their ears are prominent but are rounded and not as conspicuous as those of hares and rabbits. Lagomorphs often form the foundation of many predator-prey relationships in the ecosystems they inhabit. As important prey animals, lagomorphs are hunted by animals such as carnivores, owls and birds of prey. Many of their physical characteristics and specializations have evolved as a means of helping them escape predation. For example, their large ears enable them to hear approaching danger better; the position of their eyes enables them to have a near 360-degree range of vision; their long legs enable them to run quickly and out-maneuver predators. Lagomorphs are herbivores. They feed on grass, fruits, seeds, bark, roots, herbs and other plant material. Since the plants they eat are difficult to digest, they expel a wet fecal matter and eat it to ensure that the material passes through their digestive system twice. This enables them to extract as much nutrition as possible from their food. Lagomorphs inhabit most terrestrial habitats including semi-deserts, grasslands, woodlands, tropical forests and arctic tundra. Their distribution is worldwide with the exception of Antarctica, southern South America, most islands, Australia, Madagascar, and the West Indies. Lagomorphs have been introduced by humans to many ranges in which they were not formerly found and often such introductions have lead to widespread colonization. Evolution The earliest representative of the lagomorphs is thought to be Hsiuannania, a ground dwelling herbivore that lived during the Paleocene in China. Hsiuannania is know from just a few fragments of teeth and jaw bones. Despite the scant fossil record for early lagomorphs, what evidence there is indicates that the lagomorph clade originated somewhere in Asia. The earliest ancestor of rabbits and hares lived 55 million years ago in Mongolia. Pikas emerged about 50 million years ago during the Eocene. Pika evolution is difficult to resolve, as only seven species of pikas are represented in the fossil record. Classification The classification of lagomorphs is highly controversial. At one time, lagomorphs were considered to be rodents due to striking physical similarities between the two groups. But more recent molecular evidence has supported the notion that lagomorphs are no more related to rodents than they are to other mammal groups. For this reason they are now ranked as an entirely separate group of mammals. Lagomorphs are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Chordates Vertebrates Tetrapods Amniotes Mammals Lagomorphs Lagomorphs are divided into the following taxonomic groups: Pikas (Ochotonidae) - There are about 30 species of pikas alive today. Members of this group include silver pikas, collard pikas, steppe pikas, Chinese red pikas, Himalayan pikas, and many other species. Pikas are notable for their short, rounded ears, lack of a tail, and round body. Hares and rabbits (Leporidae) -Â  There are about 50 species of hares and rabbits alive today. Members of this group include eastern cottontails, robust cottontails, European rabbits, antelope jackrabbits, snowshoe hares, Arctic hares, volcano rabbits, desert hares, Abyssinian hares, and many others.

Centralization In The Byzantine Empire History Essay

Centralization In The Byzantine Empire History Essay In his article OsmanlÄ ± PadiÃ…Å ¸ahÄ ± published in 1958 Halil Ä °nalcÄ ±k wrote â€Å"It was obligatory to comply to caliph-sultan who had been designed by God to direct Muslims with shariaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Subjects had to show absolute obedience to the sultan and this relationship was similar with relationship between father and sonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The idea of absolute and indivisible authority and the regulations in the organization of state to materialize this idea was important.†Ã‚   [ 1 ]   Georg Ostrogorsky writes the lines below for Byzanine emperors in his book History of the Byzantine State: â€Å"The state was completely identified with the Emperor and with his military and bureaucratic machine. The Emperor is chosen of God, and under the protection of Divine Providence. He is entire master of the government of the Empire, commander-in-chief of the army, supreme judge and sole law-giver, protector of the Church and guardian of the true f aithà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ his judicial sentence is final and irrevocableà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦As master of the State the Emperor has in practice unrestricted power.†Ã‚   [ 2 ]    To read merely these two observations on the Ottoman and Eastern Roman empires together gives a considerable idea already on the permanent link between the two empires. Yet, it is necessary to pay attention to the claims of â€Å"former orientalism†, with the expression of Halil Berktay, which suggests that the single source of the Ottoman institutions was Byzantine`s socio-political organization.   [ 3 ]   However, an attempt in instantiating this claim should be cautious regarding the ultra-nationalistic tendencies which completely refuse the similarities between the two empires. In this essay I seek to analyze the centralization, which was one of the major common aspects between the Ottoman and the Byzantine empires, in the reign of Justinian. The centralization policies of Justinian, who was in th e throne between 527 and 565, seemed to be simultaneously emerged through the political fragmentation and decentralization processes in Europe. Therefore, an investigation on the centralization of the reign of Justinian can create opportunities for comparisons between the West and the Byzantium The Mainlines of Justinian Period and the Political Centralization To understand centralization policies throughout the period of Justinian, it will be useful to see mainlines of his era briefly. Justinian ruled the empire two centuries later Constantine who had founded the capital Constantinople   [ 4 ]   and was the first emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Throughout two centuries the Empire tried to get over the crisis that had destroyed Europe with a minimum damage. However, this crisis had affected its political and social life and it reached to the capacity to regain the western lands after the fifth century. According to Ostrogorsky, even though the estranged administrations of t he western and eastern sides of the Roman Empire, the ideas of unity and universality of the empire continued during the Germanic invasions. Within the sixth century when the Byzantine Empire reached the capacity to adopt an active policy, instead of a â€Å"passive actor†, an emperor came to the throne to get this idea into happening: Justinian. It is possible to summarize the goal of Justinian as reconstructing the heritage of Roman Empire, and establishing an empire within its former borders as a Christian and Roman empire. For this aim, the North Africa, Italy and South Spain were conquered and the Mediterranean became a Byzantine lake. However, those wars in the west decreased the defensive power of the Empire against Persia and throughout the Danube borders. Therefore, it can be said that while Byzantine armies were celebrating their victories in the distant west, the center of the Empire had been ravaging.   [ 5 ]   However, these conquests which were held in order to restorate the Roman Empire caused to a dramatic increase in the taxes and the discontentedness of people caused the Nika Revolt in 532. The Greens and the Blues got united to overthrow the emperor and the revolt was widely disseminated and gained strength within a short time. In so much that a nephew of the former emperor Anastasios was announced as the new emperor. However, the revolt stifled with the efforts of Theodora, Belisarios and Narses.   [ 6 ]   It is necessary to mention that to see the financial outcomes of the conquest policy as the only reasons for revolt would be inaccurate. Obviously, an increase in taxes was a significant factor for the revolt. However, the other reason which lied behind the revolt summarized the characteristic of the period of Justinian.

Influence of New Technologies on Visual Arts Essay

Influence of New Technologies on Visual Arts - Essay Example The essay "Influence of New Technologies on Visual Arts" discovers photography and its influence on visual art of 19th century. Realism and impressionism in photography and cinematograph would never have occurred without the invention of photography. Photo-realism also would not exist without photography. The new technology of photography in the 19th century led to a Realism movement. The photographers wanted to capture a true image. They did not care about making art, but in making actual replications of real things. This helped move the technology of photography along. In an effort to capture a more real looking photo, newer cameras and film were developed. This pushed the technology forward into cinematography. The better the camera and film became made making films possible. Photographic impressionists used different techniques to make their photos seem unrealistic. Soft focus was one technique used to make a picture look different. Over exposing film was another technique. Regul ar photography inspired painters. Photography had started to come of age in the middle of the 19th century with accurate depictions of people and places. Artists such as Manet, Monet, Degas, CÃ ©zanne and Pissarro felt the pressure to develop a new style that would not compete with the "accuracy" of photography. These works would never have developed without photography. Impressionism, photography, cinematography, or painting, would not have been the same. Photorealism was also affected by the emerging technology of photography.

International business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International business ethics - Essay Example Virtue ethics is a philosophy that de-emphasizes rules and concentrates its focus on the 'nature' of the person acting. It does not argue that an act is good or bad but instead puts the moral fiber of the person under the microscope. To say an act is virtuous does not mean anything. There is no context for analysis. A person is virtuous, not the action itself. To say that a person acted out of virtue rather than fear of consequences and did the right thing or made the right choice in keeping with his morals better describes the philosophy of Aristotelian virtue ethics. He or she made the choice they did because they personally thought it the right thing to do, regardless of the rules or the opinions or advice of others in their society. They had the intestinal fortitude, responsibility, and accountability to themselves to make what they considered to be the right decision. Perhaps the phrase "I couldn't sleep with myself if I did it any other way" or, as the great bard William Shakes peare put it; "to thine own self be true". These everyday phrases describe the ethical nature of this philosophy. On the other hand, there are other philosophies out there as well. One of which deals with the nature of personal and societal group ethics. Jeremy Bentham's Principle of Utility founded on the philosophy of eighteenth century David Hume is one that has stood the test of the ages with, granted, some modifications. But for all intents and purposes it has survived mainly intact and is based on four fundamental pillars: Utilitarianism "(1) Recognizes the fundamental role of pain and pleasure in human life, (2) approves or disapproves of an action on the basis of the amount of pain or pleasure brought about i.e, consequences, (3) equates good with pleasure and evil with pain, and (4) asserts that pleasure and pain are capable of quantification (and hence 'measure')" (Cavalier p1). From these four pillars, Bentham developed utilitarian calculus as a way of measuring whether an act gave more pain than pleasure or vice versa. If it was demonstrated that the action was more pleasurable than painful then it was in keeping with the utilitarian philosophy and the action should be undertaken. This was modified over the years by philosophers such as John Stuart Mills and Ludwig Von Mises to come to mean the greatest good (or happiness/pleasure) for the greatest amount of people. There are a variety of utilitarian philosophies that have evolved since the time of David Hume. Two of those have bearing here. Act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism. The first is whether an act itself is morally good defined as meeting the four rules. The second is an action taken by evaluating a rule and then following the rule that brings the most good or happiness to the most people. This appears to give the notion that there are good and bad rules. The question arises that if we follow utilitarian principles how can we make bad rules Aren't we following Act utilitarianism in making those rules Can bad rules come into being even with the best intentions These two philosophy's, virtue ethics and utilitarianism, have at their core one basic fundamental difference: individual versus society. Virtue ethics proposes that the person should make the right choice because they have considered all necessary things, been brought up right, were

History and Politics of the Mexican Revolution Essay Example for Free

History and Politics of the Mexican Revolution Essay The Mexican revolution was one of the most significant catastrophe in the twentieth century, which involved four momentous leader by the name of Madero , Diaz , Zapata and Obrengo. According to Alan Knight, author of the article â€Å"The Mexican Revolution†, â€Å"the Mexican revolution started as a protest of the middle class against the dictatorship of Porfrio Diaz†. A small minority of people were control of most of the country’s power and wealth, while the major of the population worked in poverty. According to Dan la Botz, author of article â€Å"The Mexican revolution part1, 1910-1920, â€Å"Tens of thousand of men and women fought in battles in many region of the country to end the dictatorship and overthrow the leader†. The attempt to mold a new generation that would continue the revolution’s efforts for the people into the future. Their campaign included programs for land reform, work protection, widespread literacy, and mandatory schools. The nation fund a mental economic, institution were transformed as a basic Agriculture production unit and the foreign own oil industry nationalized. In the 1910s a politician and military struggle arrived among various rival politicians, economic and social groups, the working class and the peasantry were defeated and subordinated to new master. The revolution began as an attempt to overthrow Porfrio Diaz who was a dictator of Mexico. According to Dan La Batz , author of â€Å"Mexican Revolution part 1 ,1910-1920† , â€Å"Mexico’s liberal who wanted a free market capitalist county like England and United States, battle consecutive who wanted a count more like Spain with its monarchy, powerful catholic church and feudal hierarchy (Botz 26). Diaz revived and expanded the nation economy, generally raising the levels of prosperity in the nation. The administration introduce changes that commercialized agriculture, modernized mining, financed industries, initiated railroads and enticed consumer. During the Porfrio ratio, as railroad construction dominated popular attention, city resident also witnesses the introduction of additional technology such as gas lighting, tramlines and other advances. Railroad transported raw material to the United States and Europe. Ordinary people who supplied the labor and raw materials were tricked to increase the country’s economy and Diaz later exploited domestic workers. Diaz fought alongside Mexican president benito Juarez and then against intervention. Diaz then emerged as a leading general and became president in 1876. Diaz served 34 years as the president of Mexico. Diaz took land from villages until most peasants had been reducing from small proprietors to day laborers. Diaz existence caused destruction upon the economy and social lives of Mexicans. He fought against his opponents and wag war. Diaz promised a free election against Francisco Madero another leader of Mexico who ran for election, after it became obvious he might not win. According to Beezley Williams H author of â€Å"Mexicans in Revolution 1910-1946: An introduction† â€Å"Francisco Madero became a revolutionary by accident, his entire life, his family, his education, his marriage and his early business efforts-marked him as a member of the elite (Williams 36). Madero’s family believed that his campaign was foolhardy if not suicidal. He campaign across the nation of Mexico with the aim of no presidential election. Madero’s movement was soon swelled with people who saw his campaign not only a chance for the politicial democracy but also the opportunity to struggle for more fundamental social change. Madero campaign threatened Diaz which forced him to get Madero arrested on felony charges and jailed in San Luis Potosi under house arrest in the summer 1910. In July 1910 with the help of his wealthy and politically connected family,Madero fled from San Luis Potosi to San Antonio, Texas and transformed the Anti reelection political organization for revolution to begin November 20. Madero issued his manifesto, the plan of San Luis, The plan laid out his vision of polotican democracy emphasizing the no presidential reelection. Madero slogans was â€Å"Effective Suffrage (that is honest voting) No reelection (prevent Diaz pattern of holding office) and Municipoo Libre( local control of issue such as taxes). Madero was elected president and assumed power in November 1911. By November 911 Zapata, another Mexican leader and his troops were at war with Madero’s Government. Zapata movement focuses on four main issues which was lands; which should be given to those who work for it, secondly labor unions; which had been suspended under Diaz, fought for their rights to organize and to strike and demand protective legislation for workers, thirdly education; for the country last battle with Catholic Church, the demand for free public education and finally ownership of oil nd mineral; all natural resources of Mexico should belong to is people. Zapata army was driven out of Mexico in the early 1916 by Carranza’s troop who was a Mexican leader that fought against Zapata. After this shift by Carranza’s troops, Zapata had no hope of fighting back Carranza because he didn’t have as much army as Zapata. According to Micheal Mathes author of article â€Å"Frontier Settlement in Mexican California† , with the help of chief advisor , Gildardo Magana he started an alliance for anyone who will want to fight Carranza (Mathes 503). Venustiano Carranza was the son of a middle class and who had been educated in Mexico to become part of the political elite. Carranza joined Madero’s rebellion and became president after the death of Madero. Carranza and his followers attempted to remodel cities, not by pulling down statues, wrecking monuments, or destroying the house of the old regime, but by creating a new society. The Mexican revolution was then divided into two rival bourgeois and plebian. According to WM. O.  OWEN, author of â€Å"The Mexican Revolution, Its progress , cause , purpose and probable result† Carranza’s constructional forces aimed to create a new nationalist state which could provide stability for Mexican born and foreign investors, while Connectionist led by Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, desire to carry out the democratic and social reforms demanded by the country peasants and workers. The Constitutionalist would win the civil war because they understand the significant of the labor movement. Carranza’s armies had been successful in defeating the forces of Villa and Zapata. Carranza and his advisors produce a new constitution which settled in law and the principle issue of the revolution. These laws were divided into four articles. Article 27 provided the break up of the haciendas and distribution of land to peasant and indigenous community. Article 123 gave workers the right to organize unions and strike and create legislation. Article 3 ended the Catholic Church’s control of education, creating the free, lay public schools and finally, Article 130 banned the church from Mexican politics and society. Carranza’s forces continue to fight opposition leaders which he eventually assassinating Emiliano Zapata. On may 21 1920 the rebel forces captured and killed Carranza and the general Obrengon took power. Obrengon became president holding office from 1920-1924and Huerta revolt against President Obrengo in 1923. In conclusion lands were given to the working class and peasant, housing and farming territory and also ranching was easier to get. During the decades from 1917 to 1946 revolutionaries initiated a variety of campaign to bring revolution to people. At the same time the revolutionaries initiate campaign that proved to be only partially successful, to remake the symbols of Profrio rian regime in the image of the revolution.

Mainstreaming: Does it Help Childrens Special Needs? Essay example --

Mainstreaming: Does it Help Children's Special Needs? Inclusion describes the practice of placing children with special needs in regular classrooms. Inclusion, also known as mainstreaming, gives all students the opportunity to learn from their individual differences. It allows special needs children to receive their education in a "normal society." Children with special needs are encouraged by the challenges that face them in a regular classroom. They also learn to defend themselves from the attitudes of other students. At the same time, non disabled students will learn to recognize and respect the talents and abilities of their peers. Mainstreaming focuses on providing services to students in a regular classroom setting rather than pulling them out to receive special services. For many schools, mainstreaming is the norm. All students, disabled or not do have the right to an equal opportunity in education. Kate Manners, an intelligent, funny, eight-year-old with cerebal palsy is an example of a disabled child striving for her opportunity in a regular classroom. Sometimes it takes a very large key to open even a small door (Baldrige, 1). Individual with Disabilities Act (IDEA) was the key to her door of education. After attending the Schreiber Pediatric Center in Lancaster for children with disabilities, her parents, professors, and therapists, felt that she was ready for the public school system. The recommendation of the multi-disciplinary evaluation team from Rohrerstown Elementary in the Hemfield School District in Lancaster was for her to attend a kindergarten class in another school that provides support and student aid for those students not ready to attend a regular kindergarten class. After one y... ...r extra help in certain subjects. All of this scheduling can become distractive to the classroom. A third issue that faces mainstreaming is the budget constraints. The cost of providing all the needs of disabled children is especially high. The costs of the teachers aids, and therapy can put a strain on public school districts budgets. Educators d parents. If administrators, teachers, and parents come together to learn about the change then they can open up a new world of education for children. Mainstreaming allows disabled and non disable children to learn and grow together. This experience helps them to deal with individual differences and to learn to look beyond them. In my opinion mainstreaming is only a positive outcome for the education of children. Both disabled and nondiabled students have the right to an equal occupation despite their differences.

Prestige Telephone Company Essay

PDS continuing to report operating losses due to some issues like delay of Equipment Deliveries, personnel commended higher salary than expected , Difficulties to find customers , Storage space which is used for keeping the equipment was high , high lease and equipment purchase cost , Limitation on service providing cost for parent company and charges which is given to the corporate service by the prestige Telephone Company . After analyzing the exhibits and the relation between the prestige telephone company and prestige data services I would recommend Mr. Rowe that Mr. Rowe should give some privilege to PDS in case of rent charges and the PTS should look over the facilities which provided by corporate services . PTC and PDS should manage their sales department together so it become easy for them to provide service to the clients in case of data maintaining, accounting so the individual cost will be limited. Secondly I would recommend Mr. Rowe regarding service providing hours as after analyzing the total revenue and total hours in report of first quarter there is a huge gap of hours in between these two’s If they plan to work around 550-600 hours in different shifts and maintenance of the computer is done on non-working days and utilize remaining hours for service providing they can increase their revenue hours per month. Regarding improved reporting / accounting format I would be preferring the graphical representation for revenue hours as it is easy to study graphically how many hours been actually utilize for intra company and for commercial purposes and on the other hand the financial report will be presented in percentage format as it will become easy to calculate some important figures and make some plan action upon that. As per the first quarter report on exhibit 1 the PDS showing some positive increment in their revenue hours as we compare month Jan and March this proves the company is efficient to provide good service as its bit difficult to get such a result at initial stages. So after seen such a improvement the company should get some more period of time to improve his performance and meet the revenue hours with total hours . And as the PDS is the parent company they should give some costing privilege in below cases they may overcome some losses in which they are invested in different sections like rent of the storage space and salary issues to the personnel and at other hand as the PDS is not in a public sector so they can increase their service charges and make some profit through it by providing efficient service to the clients .

UK’s Barclaycard and the Need to Outsource

In the 21st there are two terms that keep on buzzing in the headlines: globalization and global telecommunications. These two are related because if technology continues to improve then the whole planet goes high-tech – each person beginning to realise that the world is shrinking and every year or so improvements in mobile communications, the Internet and the proliferation of wireless devices makes it easier to communicate with one another. One major implication of technology change is a concept called outsourcing.This idea is nothing new but UK’s Barclaycard is just one of the many global corporations that acknowledges the need to outsource. But it is not as simple as that, Barclaycard had to make a difficult decision, to choose between two places where they can outsource a portion of their operations – whether to ship some of their work to India or the Philippines. Overview According to Richard Bolin, Director of The Flagstaff Institute, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA , the phenomenon of outsourcing is nothing new and even as early as 20 years ago there are industrialised countries who made the connection between outsourcing and profitability:Japan intentionally got rid of sewing factories to Southeast Asia by 1981. They couldn’t waste their precious labour supply on low value sewing operations. This is what outsourcing is all about. If a company does not outsource, it will die. And if its country does not find new industries to replace the inefficient ones, it will not attract new investment and better jobs. Everybody has to understand this (Bolin). Bolin is just one of many business leaders that place their faith in outsourcing and believing that this strategy is not a threat to the nation’s economy.In the long run it will benefit the economy because it will create a very efficient system where the following positive outcomes can be expected (Brown, 2005): †¢ Increase sales opportunities †¢ Prevent missed opportunities à ¢â‚¬ ¢ Reduce annual costs almost immediately †¢ Enable business to focus on core competencies †¢ Reduce or eliminate customer complaints †¢ Increase customer loyalty In a nutshell, outsourcing is the obtaining of services from an external source, outside the company.A more technical definition uses the term Business process outsourcing (BPO), â€Å"†¦BPO occurs when an organisation turns over the management of a particular business process such as accounting or payroll †¦ the underlying theory is that the BPO firm can complete the process more efficiently† (Brown, 2005). It is easy to comprehend that if global corporations fail to figure out the beauty of outsourcing then they will be left behind by their competitors.They will eat the dust left behind by those who were able to grasp the idea that allowing others to do low value operations is the future of effective business management. It is similar to hiring a driver to do the more redundant work of driving in order to free up the CEO to do more important tasks. The positive feedback is the main reason why business process outsourcing is such a hot topic in the world today. But it does not mean that everything will turn out to be great whenever a company decides to outsource part of its operations overseas.There are obviously so many things to consider. Each case must be treated separately and a thorough analysis of the operation, the core values of the company as well as pertinent information regarding the outsourcing destination must be considered prior to the decision to shut down one portion of the operations component of the firm and outsource it outside the country. Barclaycard UK A casual overview of companies that decided to outsource part of their operations overseas will reveal that most of them have a common denominator.These companies are either in the manufacturing industry or it is a business that relies heavily on Information Technology. Those in manufacturing w ill find the conditions in China particularly attractive because of the availability of cheap labour as well as the competitive costs of building and maintaining factories. Those in need of IT personnel will turn to India simply because this is a nation where there is a relatively high concentration of English speaking people that are at the same time tech-savvy and many are knowledgeable about current trends in the IT sector (Pogson, 2008).Barclaycard is one European powerhouse that could not afford not to outsource. Barclaycard is part of the Barclays Group a conglomerate that can be found in the United Kingdom. It is Europe’s largest multi-brand credit card and also provides other forms of consumer lending businesses. Barclaycard continues to lead the way in Europe and according to their official press release they are the most recognized brand in UK with over 10 million retail customers.But they are still expanding – there are currently 8. 8 million credit cards in issue outside the UK and the firm also maintains operations in over fifty countries and four continents. According to another expert, outsourcing is unavoidable and yet he cautions that it must be likened to a journey, requiring adequate planning and coordination (Pogson, 2008). This is especially true for Barclaycard. It is not an ordinary firm responsible for the manufacture of cheap products.It is a company that handles a very important aspect of European business which is the issuance of credit cards and various lending services. In other words this is a type of business that requires high level thinking and performed by not only the most technically proficient people in the planet but also those that have the highest integrity. There are three possible destinations if Barclaycard decides to outsource part of their least important operations outside the country there are three possible candidates: India, Philippines, and the Republic of Ireland.Considering first the Republic of Ireland, it is easy to gauge that it will not be as cost-effective as transferring the operations to India or the Philippines. The only possible advantage is that the Republic of Ireland is culturally similar to the UK and the English speaking inhabitants will never pose a problem in terms of communication. But other than these two considerations, it is doubtful if Ireland can compete in terms of outsourcing rates when comparing the wages of workers in Europe to those in Asia. Considering India It is not hard to put India on top of the list.There are many advantages of using the skilled workforce of India to tackle the outsourcing needs of Barclaycard. According to finance experts at Moody’s, â€Å"India will remain a top outsourcing destination because of its tech-savvy and English-proficient urban workforce whose wages are much lower than their western counterparts† (Moody’s Investors Service, 2009). The nation has a population of more than one billion people . From this number there are millions of educated English speakers entering the workforce each year (Kobayashi-Hillary, 2004).The Indian workforce provides a compelling argument as to why Barclaycard should outsource to India. Trevor Foster-Black is the managing director of Coalition Development, a UK research company that provides information to recruitment firms and he remarked that their company uses researchers from India to structure and format data and he adds, â€Å"It would be very difficult to find such high-calibre people to do similar work in London †¦ They arrive at 4am our time and everything’s finished by the time we arrive† (Kobayashi-Hillary, 2004).It is truly amazing to realise that the location of India can be a source of another advantage; in essence Barclaycard’s operations can be sustained 24 hours a day and seven days a week due to the time differences. If Barclaycard will use the same strategy in their UK offices they would incur sign ificant costs in terms of payroll alone. One can only imagine the numbers that will be generated by overtime and other costs related to keeping an operation functioning round the clock.But if they will outsource to India, the executives at the UK headquarters can send part of their workload to their people in India and they can work while the executives are going to bed. This ensures that workflow is not interrupted and therefore Barclaycard can achieve cost-efficiency very quickly. If Barclaycard will outsource all of its call centres to India then the same level of efficiency and cost savings can be expected. The English speaking workforce in India will ensure that credit card holders can be assured of easy access to customer representatives 24/7 wherever they are in the world.The low outsourcing rates in India will also allow Barclaycard to maintain a 24 hour cycle operations without downtime and therefore Barclaycard is just a phone call away whenever a customer encountered prob lems with their credit cards. Barclaycard will definitely find it worthwhile to invest in India but globalization as well as rapid development in technology can create weakness out of strength. This means that India can be a victim of its own success. According to one commentary there are two issues that concerns would be investors: 1) security; and 2) the unravelling of a top IT service provider, Satyam.These problems are forcing European companies to create more geographically dispersed portfolio of IT outsourcing providers (Overby, 2009). India is bordered by Pakistan on one side and one only has to remember Pakistan’s association with extremists groups to understand the spate of terrorist attacks in India. It is high time therefore to consider an alternative and a quick glance at Asia will reveal that there is none better than the Philippines. Considering the Philippines There are many advantages in choosing this country as a BPO destination and these are listed as follow s:1. Outsourcing rates are low and can easily compete with those of India; 2. Transportation such as flights coming from the Western hemisphere is arguably better than other Asian countries; 3. It is culturally compatible with the United States because it was a U. S. commonwealth in the early 20th century up to 1946; 4. English is widely spoken and can be considered as the second national language; and 5. The most successful outsourcing engagements in this country are for call centres (Mezak, 2006).If seems that both countries are evenly matched in many aspects pertaining to BPO. The Philippines can boast of a highly-skilled workforce considering that it has one of the highest literacy rates in Asia, even higher than India. The only reason that India can offer more tech-savvy workers is due to the fact that there are a billion people in India while the Philippines has only less than one hundred million people. But in the English department both countries can provide excellent servic e.When the Americans came to this nation in the early part of the 20th century the country was exposed to world class education systems and even if the Americans left in the middle of the 20th century the Filipinos were able to adapt and they were able to create a system that can produce top calibre graduates annually. But there is one problem with the Philippines, â€Å"†¦it is the lack of skilled project management and experience with large software development projects †¦ it is easier to find body shops offering programmers than vendors with well-structured and well-managed teams of programmers† (Mezak, 2006).This is where India has a clear advantage over this tiny island nation. Yet, again the Philippines will not give up that easily, based on a 2007 report, Barclaycard already closed its call centre in Manchester and since the Philippines excelled in this type of business process outsourcing then it must be considered as a future destination of Barclaycard†™s call centres. Conclusion Without a doubt, outsourcing is a must if a global conglomerate hopes to stay competitive in the 21st century.If one considers outsourcing, there are three things will easily come to mind, cost-efficiency, cost-efficiency and more cost-efficiency. There is no executive in this planet that will pass up the opportunity to streamline operations and make more money in the process while retaining customer loyalty through the creation of customer friendly operations. With globalisation comes wage increase and various overhead costs that can easily force a company to bankruptcy if excess fat is not trimmed down.Instead of reducing the size of the company it is much better to outsource. With the advent of modern technology and the efficiency of 21st century transportation services it is easy to do business on a global scale. Barclaycard is just one of the many European powerhouses eager to outsource and there are three destinations: the Republic of Ireland, the Philippines and India. The Republic of Ireland already dropped out of contention considering that it is located in Europe and logic dictates that competitive outsourcing rates can only be found in Asia.Considering the fact that Barclaycard is into the credit card business and that outsourcing requirements entails the capability to provide English speaking and tech-savvy personnel there are only two remaining contestants bidding for the rich rewards of outsourcing contracts – India and the Philippines. At first glance it seems that India is the best choice for Barclaycard. This is because India has already proven itself in the BPO business especially in the IT sector which is a major requirement for Barclaycard.It boasts of English speaking and tech savvy personnel that can easily handle communication needs of the said UK firm. Moreover, if there is a need for programmers, the ability to communicate with English speaking Indian programmers are a definite advantage as compared to the hassle when communicating with programmers from other countries with poor English proficiency. There are other non-tangible advantages for India. While the Philippines was under the control of the American in the early part of the 20th century, India was for many centuries under the hegemony of Great Britain.If the Filipinos were heavily influenced by American culture, Indians were heavily influenced by British culture. As many will know there is quite a difference between U. S. English and U. K. English. If this is an important consideration for Barclaycard’s outsourcing needs then India will win hands down. If one combines this with the technical capabilities of Indian workers then this combination of factors will be very difficult to beat. On the other hand India has its share of weaknesses. India is suffering from a bad image following the debacle of Satyam, one of India’s top IT providers.The scandal that hounds Satyam will easily make future investors une asy with the idea that they are placing all their eggs in one basket. If this is combined with the recent spate of terrorist attacks then capital flight will most likely follow. If there are less investors willing to invest then India’s IT infrastructure will not be upgraded and more bad news will follow. The security threat is also serious because outsourcing is a strategy with inherent risks and yet CEOs are willing to beat the odds with the promise of profitability and efficiency.But if terrorist attacks will continue then there is a chance that operations can be affected. Barclaycard could not afford to lose one day of inactivity due to security problems. It is therefore logical to consider the Philippines as an alternative. It is also a nation blessed with English speaking and tech savvy personnel. Furthermore, the Philippines is lagging behind India thus it will remain competitive with its outsourcing rates to attract more customers and investors. If Barclaycard will ch oose the Philippines then it can expect more savings and therefore increase the satisfaction of key investors.On the other hand the Philippines is not yet ready to wrest the crown away from India. The debate will never end. There are strengths and weaknesses for both countries but it seems that Barclaycard has spoken. Two years ago Barclaycard made an important decision, â€Å"Barclaycard will move some of its operations to India following the announcement it is to close its Manchester call centre this summer† (Ferguson, 2007). While the Philippines is also strong in the call centre industry, India can provide something that is beyond the grasp of the Philippines.It is a country that is culturally similar to the United Kingdom and therefore the Indians are more adept with UK English as compared to the Filipinos. Furthermore, India was once under the domain of Great Britain and therefore Indian laws and their current legal system closely mirrors that of the UK and so for Barcl aycard it can be argued that it is easier to do business in India as compared to the Philippines. References Brierley, S. (2005). The Advertising Handbook. UK: Routledge. Buttle, F. (1996). Relationship Marketing. UK: Paul Chapman Publishing, Ltd. Brown, D.(2005). The Black Book of Outsourcing How to Manage the Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities. New Jersey: Wiley & Sons, Inc. Ferguson, T. (2007). â€Å"Barclaycard Closes Call Centre, Offshores to India. † CBS Interactive Retrieved 09 March 2009 from http://services. silicon. com/ offshoring/0,3800004877,39166239,00. htm Kobayashi-Hillary, M. (2004). Outsourcing to India. Germany: Springer-Verlag. Mezak, S. (2006). Software Without Borders. California: Earthrise Press. Moody's Investor's Service. (2009). â€Å"India to Remain Among Top Outsourcing Destinations: Moodys.† Retrieved 09 March 2009 from The Economic Times. http://economictimes. indiatimes. com/Infotech/ITeS/India-to-remain-among-top- outsourcing- destin ations-Moodys/rssarticleshow/4241062. cms Overby, S. (2009). â€Å"Philippines Looks Beyond the Call Center for Future Outsourcing Growth. † Retrieved 09 March 2009 from CIO Magazine http://www. cio. com/article/483178/Philippines_Looks_Beyond_the_Call_Center_for_Fut ure_Outsourcing_Growth Pogson, I. (2008). Outsourcing from the UK to the Far East. In Outsourcing and Human Resource Management R. Taplin (Ed. ). UK: Routledge

Antisocial Behavior Disorder Essay

Antisocial Behavior Disorder Essay Antisocial Behavior Disorder Essay Joel Rodriguez April 4th 2014 Antisocial Personality Disorder Psychology Mr.D 301.7 Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is typically defined as a disregard for rights, feelings, or happiness of other people. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the avoidance of social activities or extreme introversion, but the violation of social norms. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM ­IV) states that symptoms of APD are closely related to symptoms of psychopathy, sociopathy, or dyssocial personality disorder. The history, criterion and treatment of Antisocial Personality Disorder will be further researched. Cases of APD have been documented since the dawn of the 19th century and have been related to criminal cases and civil liberties since then. Clinical doctors of the time have tried to find the etiology of APD but found no results or behaviors similar to existing psychological disorders, so instead it was termed â€Å"Moral Insanity† due to its insanity related nature. Moral Insanity was defined as an unimpairment of the intellectual facilities but an apparent impairment of moral principles, and the diagnosis found acceptance in the courts of Europe and America. Soon the diagnosis was further researched and renamed â€Å"Psychopathic Inferiority† and was accepted for another century. During the 1940s research made further breakthroughs in the study of the disorder and Henderson defined psychopathic states, allowing for Psychopathic Inferiority to be defined as a conformity to intellectual standards but exhibit conduct disorders in social settings. Courts found the growing need for treatment and magnitude scales to be created and put psychologists to the task to avoid wrongful detention in the courts. Soon the DSM adopted it as a widely and legally recognized condition and continued to exist within the DSM since. Joel Rodriguez April 4th 2014 Antisocial Personality Disorder Psychology Mr.D The DSM states that APD is usually accompanied by behaviors that seem callous, or cold towards the rights and feelings of others. Arrogance is a dominant feature in individuals with APD, self appraisal being a form which arrogance is displayed. In social settings, these individuals have what is called a â€Å"Glib†, a superficial charm which lures others in. Studies show that the etiology of APD is commonly rooted in disturbing events occurring in early childhood, setting off behaviors throughout childhood such as violence towards other children and animals, school truancy, violent relationships, lack of responsibility and malnutrition. Children with APD often complain of boredom in social settings, depression, somatization disorders, gambling, and lack of impulse control. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has often been linked to children with APD and is sometimes used as a predictor for children who may develop APD later in life. APD cannot be diagnosed in people before 18 years of age but symptoms are seen in children. APD is far more common in males than females, and as a population is exist in 3% of males and 1% of females. Cr iterion to diagnose in the DSM IV include â€Å"A pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, such as failure to conform to social norms or lawful behaviors, deceitfulness, lying for personal gain, impulsivity, irritability accompanied by aggressive physical behaviors, disregard for safety, and a lack of remorse. Individuals must be over 18 but must have evidence of the disorder before 15 years old and antisocial behaviors cannot be exclusively during Schizophrenic or Manic episodes. Joel Rodriguez April 4th 2014 Antisocial Personality Disorder Psychology Mr.D Many

Does a foreign company have an obligation to conform to local customs, Research Paper

Does a foreign company have an obligation to conform to local customs, or is it, at most, just good business to do so - Research Paper Example Foreign investment therefore is a result of the rising needs of companies to enhance the accomplishment of organizational goals. This paper presents a critique of whether a foreign company has an obligation to conform to local customs, or whether it does so since it is at most, just â€Å"good business†. When companies establish in foreign land, they find rules that govern trade, some of which may be similar to the parent country while others are totally different. There are also other companies in the particular country that are already established and are keen observers of the entry of new industries in the economy due to competition. Such companies expect the foreign investor to compete on fair grounds with the local organizations. No matter the nature of local customs, market liberalization requires businesses to invest based on willingness as well as the capability to maintain competitiveness under the prevailing conditions. On the other hand, local customs are obligatory for all organizations that have interest in investing within an economy. As investors move in to foreign markets, they usually face difficulties depending on many factors such as political stability, barriers to trade and conflicts of interests among other hindrances. These usually present high risks to foreign investors considering the fact that it requires a high initial capital outlay to establish in a foreign economy. The stocks acquired in foreign companies may be lost if the host country fails to formulate policies that facilitate foreign investment. In case of policies focused on the expropriation of foreign companies to utilize property or premises for other development purposes, foreign organizations may face a lot of difficulties and are usually at a risk of closure and losses (Dugan et al. 2008). However, the international law has provisions aimed at protecting foreign

'Poetry exists to disrupt habitual perception' Essay

'Poetry exists to disrupt habitual perception' - Essay Example Jonathan Swift an Anglo-Irish poet of the eighteenth century, is considered a skilled satirist whose most famous work would be Gulliver’s Travels, a novel that which satires human nature and political struggle. Considered to be his best poem and perhaps his best work, â€Å"A Description of a City Shower† is a commentary on urban life and the way that life in a city can be inauthentic and artificial. The poem is constructed with lines in a loose version of iambic pentameter, in heroic couplets. It can be said that the poem evokes that feeling of ’shared experience’ as those portrayed are collectively together and captured in the event of a storm. However, the other shared experience that is just past The subjects of his words are treated with wit and social relevance. The poem is filled with small references some of which may not be immediately revealed, but on repeated readings the joyful mockery has extraordinary appeal. At one point within the poem a direct jab is taken towards the political parties who forever argue and accomplish little in the process. Swift says, â€Å"Triumphant Tories, and desponding Whigs, forget their feuds, and join to save their wigs.†[1]. In one quick stab of wit, Swift suggests that in this moment of rain, the Tories and the Whigs finally have a common element in their experience. The rain may destroy their wigs. In this manner, he reduces the members of these groups to a common element of humanity. With skill and a great, quiet power, Swift is able to reduce his subjects and require humility as they must step off of their pedestal for a moment - all disguised within a cleverly crafted rambling of the story of a rain shower. Louis MacNeice‘s, another Irish poet, wrote â€Å"London Rain† (1941) which also speaks of a rain shower. MacNeice’s work wasn’t intended to have quite the wit of Swift’s work, however his thoughtful and

Discuss what skills might be required from managers to cultivate and Essay - 1

Discuss what skills might be required from managers to cultivate and foster creativity and innovation in workforce. Use examples to illustrate your discussion - Essay Example It is only by realigning its goals and its operations to the changing economic conditions that an organization can continue being successful. In this regard, it reaming that managers should be competent with regard to managing change, bit within the organization and the change without the organization in order to remain competitive. These laws explain how acts by individual people with self interest lead to foreseeable results in the market. The laws define how competition is as a result of the individual people trying to achieve their own self interests. This competition then acts as the basis on which products are availed to the society. Competition, according to these laws creates a regulatory environment where the producers will have to confine themselves within these rules that come naturally from the competition forces, or they will be thrown out of the market. These producers are only motivated by profit and the only thing that can draw the boundary on how much they will exploit the society is Competition. Competition, according to Adam smith, does more than just regulate these producers, it pushes them towards meeting the society’s needs by forcing them to continually innovate products and goods that the society wants. Through this mechanism of Competition, the society subconsciously allocates, and reallocates the means of production to suit its needs. This leads to what Adam Smith referred to as the self regulating properties of the market. The constant need for economic growth leads to the need for constant change. Economic growth is a basic need in any society because the society wants to be able to meets its new needs to survive. As the society grown in terms of numbers, new challenges arrive and they must be dealt with. For instance, with increased population, more resources such as food, is required to keep the society fed. This would require better ways to produce food,

The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947) Essay Example for Free

The Diary of A Young Girl by Anne Frank (1947) Essay Keeping diaries and journals have always been considered as peoples typical form of documenting the significant events and experiences that go through their lives. Over the years, a lot of people have already been renowned due to the significant contributions of their diaries to different fields such as history, science and anthropology. Journals, unlike periodicals, books and other published materials may reveal information that are only limited about their personal lives, but these nevertheless reflect significant information about the generation they belong, the government that ruled during their time, the current state of the society during their time, as well as how the people were during that particular generation. Considering this, it can be assumed that journals also hold a particular relevance in exploring history. It may not reveal extensive details as what history books and publications may offer, but these nonetheless reveal a different kind of revelation about a certain generation with a specific relevance to history. In this light, this discussion shall explore on the personal journal of a one person who was became known in history due to her revealing and eye-opening revelation about her time during the Nazi’s invasion during the World War. The succeeding discussions shall scrutinize and analyse the personal journal of Anne Frank, which has become very popular in 1947 due to the very revealing information it disclosed about the Nazi generation during the World War. Journal Evaluation and Analysis Anne Frank’s Journal was written during 1947. Her journal was basically like a compilation of diary entries written on colored sheets of paper. Anne Frank’s diary was entitled The Diary of a Young Girl. From this title, a lot of ideals can already be presumed about the life of a young girl who went through the life amidst the war. This alone makes the journal very interesting as the imagination, thoughts and perspectives of a young girl could be the freshest as well as the most adventurous thoughts. A person can never measure and limit a young girl’s imagination and thinking. It’s vulnerability as well as its innocence make it so transparent and honest, that it tends to express in perfect accuracy everything that goes on around it. One of the most interesting features in Anne Frank’s diary’s title is that it is bare and simple. It simply displaces itself as a mere diary of a young girl, and not like any kind of comprehensive and technical account on historical events by a history enthusiast. Basically, the diary was Anne’s way of retelling her generation. Every word that was written on each colored sheet presented a reality about the Nazy invasion in Amsterdam during the World War. This diary was done when Anne was hiding in a safe house with her family and friends in 1942. As what can be expected from a town amidst the war, Annes environment has been very dim and uncertain. All the violence, the pain and misery of her time was put into the pages of Annes journal, and this was made available to the public and to the later generations after several years. Jan Romein, a historical literature critique and a historical journals enthusiast was able to take a look at the original sheets of Annes diary and this is what he had to say about it: â€Å"this apparently inconsequential diary by a child, this de profundis stamered out in a childs voice, embodies all the hideousness of fascism, more so than all the evidence at Nuremberg put together† (Jan Romein, qtd. in Cole 25) This was basically how the critics tyoically saw Anne Franks diary. Apparently it appeared as an honest revelation of pain and grief from a young girl who has been trapped in a fascist war. In looking back at the historical context of the story, it can be recalled that this diary was completed within a small, hidden annex from where Anne found her own safetly from all the turbulence of the war. However, before this point of her life at war, it is important to note that some of the most significant factors in her urge to write a diary are the deaths of some of her closest friends and relatives who were left unsafe in the roads of Amsterdam that also served as battlefields. It was very stirring to feel from her words the pain of losing loved ones and seeing them be taken away by the dark smoke of revolution and the injustice of relentless violence. The book has not been available to the public right after the war or even right after Annes death. It was first kept by her father, Otto Frank who was placed into a moment of tears when he read about all the things her daughter had to say about their unforgettable experiences during the war. It was also through Otto Franks review of his daughters diary that Annes objective in writing it was realized. Basically, Anne was a passionate writer. She was always into scribbling on her note pads and writing poems and short stories. When the war came and they had to be hidden in a secret annex, all the sources of Annes fun as a teen ager was taken away as well. And instead, it was suddenly replaced by huge blows of fear, uncertainty and misery. As a child who carries a soft and vulnerable heart, Anne prefered to be strong for her family and for herself. And since she was never really able to speak out about her fears and uncertainties, Anne was pushed by her ownself into writing journal enties so as to reveal her hearts thoughts and revelations. Basically, the authors objectives were very clear as the presentation of it has been very honest and innocent knowing it all came from a young girls perspective. But aside from this interesting fact, it is significant to note also that Anne Frank was able to develop herself as a good poet and a very creative short story writer because of this venture. Research and Comparison Anne Franks diary was never a kind of its own. As what has been mentioned earlier, there have been a lot of individuals who have already been renowned all over the world due to the significant contributions their personal journals gave for the study of history and anthropology. Just like Anne Frank, Samuel Pepys is another individual who has became known due to the contributions his personal journal to the study of history, especially during the holocaust era. Juts like Annes diary, Samuels revelation about his generation during the war has been very revealing and enlightening. Samuels diary were filled with the typical day-to-day diary entries of a married man, who us being trapped in a political chaos during the halocaust era. This made his entried rather politically inclined instead of being mere presentations of what went on throughout his day. Samuel Pepys work has been known in Great Britain due to the revelations it was able to displace about the political state of the the country during his generation. And Just like Annes diary, Samuels journal was also seen as a â€Å"recorder of political events† during his generation (Gyford). Furthermore, his work, just like Annes journal has helped researchers and the students of history in their scruitiny and quest for understanding about the life during the holocaust era. The different reviews on Anne Franks diary basically directed on a single realization, that iss, Annes revelations really helped a lot in understanding history since it came from a more real experience. However, over the years, a lot of uncertainties about the authenticity of Annes diary floated. The New York Times explains why this uncertainty can be considered quite predictable: â€Å"One of the main reasons why we used scientific evidence to unravel all the facts about the diary was to expose the falsehood of neo-Nazi and rightist groups in Europe and the United States† (Barnouw, qtd. in Mitgang) And although a lot of people during the past decades have fallen in doubt on the genuinity of Annes diary, these uncertainties were nevertheless proven false as Annes diary was finally proven authentic on 1989 (Mitgang). Final Reflections Typically, a person will easily feel as if he or she is violating someones privacy upon reading someone elses diary. Being able to read Anne Franks diary did not feel anything like that. It was like Anne Frank was destined to write her diary entries for the future generations. Her diary provided the modern students of history a more realistic reference material about what the times during the world war and the holocaust era was like based from the juvenile and innocent perspective of a young girl. Considering that Anne was still young when her diary was created, most of his journal entries were really captivating and emotionally stirring as the reality of pain, fear and misery during the war came straight from the vulnerable and seemingly helpless thoughts of a young girl who has been trapped in the chaos she never wanted to be in. This can also be considered as one of the most significant factors that made this journal very interesting. A young girls revelation about life and about the state of the world can be the most interesting in the sense that the innocence and honesty is still preserved. Furthermore, Annes experiences and revelations also bring people to a realization that indeed, some of the most important things at war are faith, hope and personal strength. Indeed, aside from historical facts about the state of Amsterdam during the war, Anne Franks diary became a source of inspiration and values about how to preserve faith and hope despite the turbulence and atrocity of war. Wotks Cited Cole, Tim. Selling the Holocaust: From Auschwitz to Schindler. Routledge, 2000 Frank, Anne. Het Achterhuis (The Diary of Anne Frank). Contact Publishing,1952 Gyford, Phil. â€Å"Legends of British History: Samuel Pepys†. Website. PepysDiary. com. 12 May 2010. http://www. pepysdiary. com/indepth/archive/2008/12/12/legends_of_british. php. Mitgang, Herbert. â€Å"An Authenticated Edition of Anne Franks Diary†. The New York Times. Website. 08 June 1989. 12 May 2010. http://www. nytimes. com/1989/06/08/books/an-authenticated-edition-of-anne-frank-s-diary. html.

Housekeeping Operations In A Hotel Unit Operated Marketing Essay

Housekeeping Operations In A Hotel Unit Operated Marketing Essay Corinthia Hotels International Ltd (CHI ltd) was established in 2000. This Maltese management company provides a full range of technical assistance and managerial service to hotel owners. CHI is the exclusive operator and developer for the luxury Corinthia Hotels brand as well as the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brands in Europe, Africa and The Middle East. The current Portfolio amounts to twelve luxury and upscale properties in city and resort locations with products ranging from boutique to conference hotels. Total room capacity of the current portfolio amounts to 6000. In line with the companys expansion strategy, there are another eleven hotels currently under development in various locations worldwide. Therefore increasing capacity levels by 25 % upon their completion. Head Office and each respective hotel unit have fully functional administrative departments such as Sales Marketing, Human Resources, Stores, Information Technology, Finance and Administration. Additionally, each hotel unit also operates the following service departments:- Housekeeping, Front Office, Engineering , Food Beverage and Kitchen. The various hotels forming part of the company portfolio are able to serve the needs or the demands of different categories of travellers. Notwithstanding the diversity of each unit, be it location, structurally or market arena in which they compete, the primary function of a hotel is to provide accommodation for those away from home, and to supply travellers with their basic needs. Therefore, each hotel unit requires basic components of hotel products, which can be categorised into two key areas which are sleeping accommodation and food and beverages. For the purposes of this assignment I will be concentrating one specific operational departmen t, namely Housekeeping. Irrespective of the total size of the property in square metres, or the total bed stock capacity the main objective of the housekeeping department is to provide a quick and thorough servicing of rooms and pubic areas to a consistently high standard and with little inconvenience to the guests as possible. Therefore, until such time that there are machines that can make beds, service and replenish hotel bedrooms and public areas, the housekeeping department will remain an essential service function in any hotel. Due to the high element of manual work, this department is highly dependant on manpower to produce its outputs. Hence, the key resource utilised is employees. In order to establish adequate manpower levels the total departmental requirements are primarily calculated on maximum capacity of three factors :- The total number of hotel bedrooms. The total land area of the hotel. 100% Occupancy levels. However, from the day to day operations perspective, manning levels are predominantly calculated on forecasted business levels. Tasks for room attendants are individually assigned using the management information systems Fidelio Opera, whereas Public Area Cleaners have fixed work type schedules which differ according to the various shifts. Being a unionised environment, the collective agreements define maximum output levels within an eight hour shift, which in the case of a room maid, a maximum of sixteen rooms to service can be allocated. Outputs over and above this quota must be produced after the eight hour period, which in turn impacts costs based efficiency levels. Other parameters exist which encompass a Total Quality Management perspective :- The company has established a systematic ten step work process for the cleaning of bedrooms. The process has been designed in such a way as to establish standard operating procedures, define desired quality levels and to promote ergonomic work practices. The best work practice is communicated through training and supervision on the ten step cleaning process , which if followed correctly will prevent repetitive strain or manual handling related injuries, ensure safe materials handling and the attainment of desired quality levels. Guest expectations relating to the quality and type of intangible services are constantly changing, this in turn brings about regular shifts in customers needs. Therefore, to remain an attractive alternative to the competition, customers requests have become the catalyst for departmental diversification. Nowadays most housekeeping departments also co-ordinate laundry and dry cleaning services, inventories, staff uniforms, floral services, baby sitting services and seasonal hotel decorations displays. Q.2.3.4 Subsystem Function Model Structure Objective Housekeeping Function Service C SCO Maximum Customer Service through minimizing completion time. Consistent levels of cleanliness leading to high quality perception of service level. Minimized customer queuing. High resource productivity In-house Laundry Service C SQO Consistent levels of quality leading to customer satisfaction. High levels of productivity. Dry Cleaning Service/ Transport C DQO Hassle free door to door service. Minimum Customer Waiting Time. Consistent Quality of service provided Cost Effectiveness Q5. Key : C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png= Very Important X = Relatively Unimportant C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png = Relatively Important X = Unimportant Sub- System Resource Utilisation Customer Service Materials Machines Labour Specn Cost Housekeeping C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X X Laundry C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png Dry Cleaning X X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png Q5.1 Housekeeping The primary resource utilised is manpower The secondary resource is materials e.g. detergents, cloths, brooms etc Minimal amount of machinery is utilised to perform cleaning processes Customers expect to find the public areas and guest bedroom clean at all times. The customer does not pay directly for the service as it forms part of the room rate tariff. Q5.2 Laundry All laundry processes are highly dependant on the use of machinery e.g. washing machines, folding machines, pressing machines. All inputs and outputs are handled physically by the linen keeper. This includes ensuring that par levels are maintained to prevent stock outage, distribution of linen to room attendants and quality control. Cleaning materials amount to a small percentage of the running costs within this subsection of the housekeeping department. Time taken to supply the service is imperative to the customer. Two levels of service exist these being next day service and same day service. Customers pay directly for the service rendered. Customers are willing to pay premiums for express services. Q5.3 Dry Cleaning All dry cleaning is outsourced to Swan Laundry and therefore the only resource required by the hotel is labour. As the hotel operates its own laundry, the same personnel are used to co-ordinate guest dry cleaning requests. Items are delivered directly to the room by the Linen Keeper. Primary factor for the customer is to receive cleaned garment in the shortest possible time frame. Customers will be willing to pay a premium for an express service. Q61. Industrial Unrest The general union has one hundred percent recognition within the hotel property. Negotiations with the management have reached a deadlock which has consequentially resulted in the union issuing an advice of Industrial action to the management and a strike directive to its members. Therefore, during the period of time that industrial action persists, both cleaning and laundry services have been paralysed and hence these two functions are now required to be outsourced to a private contractor until such time that that conciliation can be reached. Subsystem Model Structure Objective Housekeeping Function C DQO Continued uninterrupted service to the customer Loss of business is minimised Quality of service remains constant In-house Laundry C DQO Continued uninterrupted service to the customer Loss of business is minimised Quality of service remains constant Sub- System Resource Utilisation Customer Service Materials Machines Labour Specn Cost Housekeeping C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X X Laundry x X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png X C:Documents and SettingsmbunyanLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.IE5MKANX3AFMC900432530[1].png Q61.1 Housekeeping Function Manpower still remains the primary resource utilised due the nature of the work involved. Payroll costs will substantially increase as in addition to payroll, additional sums will have to be paid to the contractor for services rendered. Thus impacting profitability due to manpower. As the same tasks are required to be performed by the contractors quantities of materials and machine usage remain unchanged. Customers expectations in terms of services provided and time factors remain unchanged. Q61.2 Laundry Function Linen keeper function will be taken over by a member of the housekeeping management team. Thus ensuring that inventories and control of services are monitored internally. Therefore, no additional cost in terms of labour as management grades are not paid overtime for extra hours worked. Machinery and materials are provided by contractor therefore, there will be little or no impact in terms of resources. Major consideration is that extra costs will be incurred to pay contractor however, the reduction in consumption in utilities such as water and electricity will to contribute towards balancing the additional costs incurred. Q7a Concepts where Ceterus Paribus was used The daily operation for the housekeeping department performs same tasks at similar times of the day. Rooms are serviced between the hours of 0800 hrs until 1700 hrs, Internal Laundry operates from 0700-1900 hrs and Public Areas are serviced from 0600hrs until 2300hrs. These timings are covered providing the person scheduled turns up to do their duties and there are no large shifts in demands due to unexpected group arrivals or delayed departures due to flight cancellation. Linen inventory levels are well stocked on a 3 par level thus providing sufficient availability of linen for more than one day. An emergency situation doe not arises in the hotel. This may lead to hotel evacuation or redeployment of housekeeping team members to assist in a clean up process. All machinery in the laundry section is working to maximum out put levels and there are no interruptions to utility services provided by any of the following:- Technical problems. Preventative maintenance. General Power Failure in area. Back up Generator is able to sustain the emergency lighting system until such time that power supply is resumed. Reverse Osmosis System is operating efficiently. External Laundry and Dry Cleaning Service operates seven days a week, for next day service garments have to be submitted to the Housekeeping department prior to 0900hrs of the previous day. The same applies to express cleaning services. The unit is highly dependant that the service provider delivers the garments at the contracted times. Shortfalls in service by the contractor would lead to customer dissatisfaction. Although the contingency plan during industrial action would be to outsource both the housekeeping and laundry function to a third party contractor, it may be the case that the entrance to the loading bay may be barricaded thus impeding contractors to enter the building to perform the tasks required. Or indeed that contracted staff may sympathise with those who are picketing. Q7b Strategic Choices CHI owns and operates a total of three hotels on the island. All of which are unionised and hence seeking manpower from sister hotels would not be possible in the event of industrial action. The company has a contract with Bad Boy Cleaning Organisation who in return for a fixed fee supply additional cleaners upon the request of the hotel management. Therefore, any influxes in demand can be addressed on a real time basis by the supply of additional manpower through the oursourced company. Should the action occur when it is forecasted that the hotel will have lower occupancy levels, rooms or floors could be closed and the cleaning of the said rooms could be postponed until such time they are required. The current late booking trend could be advantageous for the hotel management to counteract additional last minute bookings by closing all room type availability. Although this measure would result in loss of room revenues it would limit the burden on the operation and safeguard the reputation of the company. Additional manpower could also be attained through management personnel, who could temporally abandon their roles and assist in the housekeeping department in order to maintain housekeeping services. In the worse case scenario, whereby industrial action is paralysing the operation, arrangements to relocate guests to other hotels in the vicinity would be the only option available. Q7b Capacity Management Capacity Management in terms of the service industry can be categorized in terms of facilities, labour and equipment. Unlike manufacturing operations, in the service industry the success of a hotel operation is linked to its use of room capacity and the rates charged per room. Matching of capacity and demand is a challenge for any hotel operation. This is partly due to the fact that most hotel services cannot be stored in the form of inventory. Occupancy levels vary according to seasonality and can vary drastically from one day to the next in terms of excess or insufficient demand. When a hotel room is not sold on a particular day the revenue lost can never be regained, this is referred to as perishability factor. The maximum capacity will be defined by the total number of bedrooms whereas the optimal capacity will relate to the maximum number of clients that can be served at the desired level of service. Capacity management therefore involves certain trade-offs between the objective s of profit maximisation and operational cost efficiency. The housekeeping department has little to no input into maintaining business levels, as this area is covered by Yield departments, namely Sales and Reservations. Therefore, the primary objective for the Housekeeping department is to ensure that all vacant rooms are serviced in preparation for an eventual sale. Additionally, on high demand days, procedures allow quick turnarounds to allow room to be sold more than once thus maximizing revenue. Labour is the most variable source of a service provider. Business levels and activities within the hotel will be a defining factor as to how much staff are required each day. Therefore, the housekeeper will use business forecasts when preparing working schedules for her department. As mentioned previously maximum output levels within an eight hour day are governed by a maximum number of rooms that can be allocated to each team member. Concessions to the 16 room allocation are :- New team member has joined the company and is undergoing training on the ten step process. The three month probationary period for new team members whereby number of rooms allocated is less until they are able to work productively at the required levels of cleanliness. Following scheduled maintenance when deep cleaning process is conducted in rooms, a time span of 2 hours per room is calculated. Equipment As the hotel has its own laundry par levels of bath and bed linen is set at three. Stock takes are conducted on a monthly basis to monitor and control stocks and re-order levels. When items in stock reach the minimum levels and requisition is submitted. All requisitions are channeled through a computerized inventory management system. Consumable items : Centralised purchasing department Par levels are set according to seasonality.